My mom took me to Rwanda in 2007. I was young, but it really opened my eyes and heart to working with kids in Africa. Fast forward 10 years … I had been living in Nashville, attending college, but wanting to transfer to a school in California, closer to where I grew up. When I moved back, my sister shared that she was going to Rwanda on a PEACE trip with the HIV&AIDS Initiative at Saddleback Church. I felt God prompting me to join them.

I was a little late to the team — everyone else had already been sending out support letters for months. It was a stretch to trust God to provide for me. I prayed and sent out letters to friends and family. Some help came, but not enough.

The trip was rapidly approaching. I was supposed to have most of the funds in my account already but still had a long way to go. My mom, who had been praying for me, encouraged me to trust God, to do my part and believe that God would do his. I had some money in my savings account and felt led to put it all toward my trip. It was scary emptying my savings, and I was still short of funds for my trip. I felt like I was out of options.

At work a few days later, a lady stopped in and began chatting with me. She explained that she was in town for the Purpose Driven Church conference at Saddleback. Her church had committed to adopt The PEACE Plan and would be sending their first PEACE team to Kenya. I told her that I was planning on going to Rwanda in two weeks on a PEACE trip, as well. As we continued to chat, she asked if I had raised all the funds for my trip. I confessed that I still hadn’t, and she said she wanted to fully fund my trip.

Before that conversation, I had no idea how I would pay for this trip, I had no idea how it could possibly work out — all I could do was pray. But God sent the right person across my path and provided everything I needed to go.

If you would like more information about how you can serve local churches in the area of HIV/AIDS on a PEACE trip, email HIV@saddleback.com or call 949-609-8555.

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